Tram Crash
by technicolouredninja
Summary: How will the street and the people living in be effected when it's was Leanne's hen night not Peter's stag do that has taken place in Nick's bar the night the tram comes off the viaduct. What secrets will be revealed and more importantly...who will surive?
1. Chapter 1

**Set the night of the tram crash, the only difference that Leanne's hen night was held in the Joinery and Peter's stag do was in the Rovers. Sorry not a very imaginitve title. **

**Enjoy! :D**

Pain.

All she could feel was pain.

She could feel the weight of something holding her down, pinning her legs, she couldn't move. Dust was falling down onto her, causing her to cough, each cough sending a spasm of pain through her. She tried to swallow but her mouth was dry. She could feel something digging into the top of her leg, it was sharp and was slowly cutting into her skin.

'Carla?'

'Oh my god Car, Maria we've go to get her out.'

Leanne scrambled to Carla's side, closely followed by Maria. The pair seemed to have only suffered cuts and bruises.

'Carla can you hear me?' Maria's voice.

'Yeah.' Carla croked.

'We're gonna try and move some of the rubble Car, just hold on.' Leanne said as she and Maria cleared some of the smaller bricks from around Carla's body.

'Leave me, c'mon you've both got kids.' Carla said.

She didn't have anyone waiting for her at home, no one who was really worried about her.

'We ain't leaving you Carla.' Leanne said, giving Carla a small smile

'WATCH OUT!' Maria screamed as another load of rubble fell on all three of them along with a cloud of dust.

As Carla coughed and breathed in a huge amount of dust she cried out in pain as something in her back clicked, shooting pain down her body and sending a wave of nusea with it.

After a few minutes the dust had settled and Leanne and Maria both went to Carla's aid. There was a metal bar crushed into Carla's lower body, and without moving it then they wouldn't be able to get her out.

'Try calling someone Maria, maybe there's a signal now.'

Maria pulled her moblie out of her pocket, luckly it hadn't been cushed as Leanne's had been.

'Leanne...listen to me... you've got Simon to think about... Maria's got Liam...Just leave me.' Carla pleaded, struggling to breathe.

'We're not leaving you Carla and thats final. Got any signal yet Maria?'

'No not yet. Hang in there Carla we're not going to give up on you.'

..

All the guys from Peter's stag do were trying to clear the rubble, to try and find anyone alive. They had managed to get Cheryl and some of the factory workers out, all with minor cuts and bruises.

'Whos still in there?' Nick asked as he and Peter were searching for people.

'Umm, Maria, Carla, Leanne. Why can't we hear them?'

'There could be 10 feet of bricks between us and them, we've just got to keep looking.'

'Where are the emergancy services, they should be here by now' Steve asked, worried sick that Max was somewhere under the reckage.

Lloyd ran up to the others. 'There's been a major car crash on the M62, all the police and ambulances where there when the tram came down.'

'So how long are they going to be? For all we know there could be people dying down there.' Peter snapped.

'They just said that they would be as quick as possible, Dr Carter's opening up the medical centre until more help arrives.'

'We're just going to have to keep looking then.'

..

'Look Carla we're gonna try and move you yeah, that okay.'

Carla nodded as Leanne and Maria shifted the metal bar off her body, trying not to scream out in pain.

Leanne wrapped her hands around Carla's waist and with help from Maria they mananged to move Carla a few feet. They layed Carla down before Maria stood up.

'If we don't get her out of here soon, she's a goner.' There was another creak of wood beam threating to snap.

'She won't be the only one.' Leanne said.

..

Once the fire crews and ambulances had arrived everybody was pushed back behind police tape.

'People are trapped possibly dying, why is no one looking for them.' Peter pleaded.

'I'm sorry sir but the area is unsafe for the general public.'

'Well obviously, a tram has just come crashing through a bar but there are people trapped under there and all you are doing is stopping people from helping to look for them.'

'Please we are doing all we can.'

Peter growled in frustration and put his hands on the back of his head. Nick put a hand on his shoulder.

'Leanne's going to be fine Peter, the fire crews know what they are doing.'

Peter nodded and smiled at Nick but only thought was whizzing through his head.

_It's not Leanne I'm worried about. _

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	2. Chapter 2

**Another chapter! I know I'm not normally this productive but I bet you guys won't be complaining :D**

**Enjoy!**

'I'm going to see if there is a way out over there, I can see a bit of light so we might be able to push through.' Maria said, taking off her heels before climbing over the rubble.

Leanne stayed with Carla, trying to stop her from falling asleep.

'Come on you, don't leave me now, gonna need you standing up there with me at the wedding.' Carla offered Leanne a small smile, before coughing and wincing in pain. Leanne gave her a tissue incase she retched and when she brought it away from Carla's mouth there was something covering it.

Blood.

Carla was coughing up blood.

..

Maria pushed a hole through what had been a wall, the bricks falling away. She scrambled through it into the space on the other side. She made the hole slightly bigger before looking round the space. It seemed to be more structally sound, and she could hear the faint sound of sirens, giving her a glimer of hope.

'Leanne! I've made a gap, we might be able to get Carla through it, it seems safer in here.'

Leanne made her way to the gap, keeping one eye on Carla.

'Okay, come and help me with Carla, she's getting worse, she's started coughing up blood.' Then thought struck Leanne.

'Maria check if theres a phone signal! You might be able to get help.' Leanne walked back to Carla.

Maria pulled out her mobile, seeing a picture on the screen of her and Liam.

'Mummy's coming home, I promise.' Maria whispered looking at the photo

Seeing that there was a signal, she scrolled down the list of names and held the phone up to her ear, praying the person on the other end was going to pick up.

..

Peter was standing in a throng of people, seeing if there was anymore people pulled out of the wreckage. His father had taken Simon to the medical centre to get check out after the house that all the kids was staying in set on fire, but he had been given the all clear.

Suddenly Peter's mobile rang in his pocket, Maria's name flashing up on the screen. He shouted over the group of people.

'Everybody quiet, Maria's calling me, it might mean theres people still alive under the wreckage.' There was a hush as Peter answered the phone.

'Maria are you alright? Are Carla and Leanne with you? Are they okay?'

'Peter just shut up and listen. Me and Leanne are fine but Carla's in a bad way. She needs to go to hospital and fast.'

'Why whats wrong? Is there anyway out?'

'We're moving Carla into the main bar area, the walls look less likely to collapse.'

'Okay. What's wrong with Carla?'

'There was a metal bar crushing her legs, we managed to move it but she's almost unconcuss. She's coughing up blood aswell.'

'I'll tell the rescue team where you are, just try and make sure your all safe.'

As Peter said this Maria's phone cut out.

..

'Peter? Peter can you hear me?' Maria looked down at her phone. The battery had died.

Maria went back to where Leanne was sat with Carla.

'I managed to call Peter, there's recuse teams looking for us, but we have to move Carla, otherwise this is going to collapse on us.'

Leanne nodded and together with Maria they managed to get Carla over to the other side of the bar.

..

The pair lay Carla down, trying not to cause her anymore pain.

From where she was Carla could see the fuzzy outline of a wooden beam above her, creaking slightly from the weight of the bricks on top of it. She tried to focus on it, not the seering pain down her back.

All of a sudden there was shift of rubble and shouts could be heard. Leanne and Maira shouted for all they were worth.

'Help!'

'Please!'

'We're in here!'

A hand could be seen pushing some bricks away, and then the light of a torch.

'We're going to get you out of here, just stay calm and walk towards me.'

'We can't we've got a casulty here.' Maria shouted as more rubble came down on the 3 of them.

'Please come towards me, this whole structure could collapse.'

Maria picked up Carla's legs as Leanne linked her arms behind Carla's back, trying to lift her out to the paramedics.

..

'Who's that?' Norris asked as a man was carried off into a ambulance.

'It's the tram driver.' One of the firemen shouted.

'Went through all of that and survived. Miracle' Norris muttered under his breath.

Another body was carried out of the rubble, a woman.

Carla.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Okay I'm on a roll, chapter 3 here for you.**

**Enjoy!**

Carla was rushed to hospital and taken to emergency surgery while Leanne and Maria where treated for minor cuts and bruises. Once they had been given the all clear the pair they sat waiting for news on Carla, the minutes feeling like hours.

A nurse came up to Leanne saying that Carla's brother was here it see them. Leanne and Maria looked at each other for a second, Carla had never mentioned a brother and even if she did have one, how could he have heard what had happened so quickly?

There questions were answered when Peter came into the waiting room.

'Sorry love they wouldn't let me in otherwise, family only see.' Peter pulled Leanne into a hug.

'Are you two okay?' He asked after quickly giving Maria a hug.

'Just cuts and bruises lucky really, waiting for news on Carla, shes been taken into surgery.'

'What do they think is wrong with her?'

'They suspect that she had broken her back and she was coughing up blood and she was passed out by the time the ambulance got here.' Maria said with tears in her eyes.

'Have you rang Michelle? She needs to know whats happening.' Maria shook her head.

'She's up in Glasgow.'

'She still derserves to know.' Maria nodded and went to ring Michelle.

'What if she dies Peter? She's my best mate.' Leanne said sobbing into Peter's shoulder.

'Eh that won't happen love, she's going to be alright.' Peter's words weren't just to comfort Leanne, they were to comfort himself.

Maria came back in.

'Michelle's on her way, she should be here as soon as possible depending on the traffic but I said that I would keep her posted.'

..

'I should have been here, should have been able to do something.'

Peter was awoken from his sleep by the sound of Michelle's voice. Looking at his watch he was suprised that 4 hours had past since he had arrived. He looked around the waiting room, and saw Maria pulling Michelle into a tight embrace. He looked down and saw that Leanne was leaning against him, and seemed to be asleep.

He gently untangled Leanne from his body and placed his jacket under her head as a pillow. He walked over to Michelle and Maria who had sit down.

'Hiya Chelle.' Peter placed a hand on her shoulder, Michelle turned and looked up at him, tears threating to spill from her eyes.

'Hi Peter, sorry I didn't mean to wake you.'

'No it's alright, I was begining to get a cricked neck sleeping in that position. Has there been any news?'

Michelle and Maria both shook there heads.

'They haven't said anything, so she must still be in surgery.' Michelle said, Peter sat next to her.

'She's gonna be fine 'Chelle, I promise.'

'How can you promise that Peter? She's been crushed under half a ton of rubble, under a fucking tram.' Michelle's tears spilled down her cheeks.

'I promise she is going to fine because she is a fighter. Carla is a fighter and we've got to be here to help her with the fight. If we all give up on her then she will have nothing to fight for.'

Michelle furiously wiped the tears off her face. She knew Peter was right, she couldn't give up on Carla, she had lost too many people.

She wasn't going to lose Carla as well.

..

After a hour or so a nurse came into the room.

'Are you waiting for news on Carla Connor.'

'Yeah' Michelle said before turning to Peter. 'Wake Leanne up Peter, she has as much of a right as anyone to know whats going on.'

Peter gently woke Leanne up, and told her that they had news on Carla before letting the nurse speak.

'As you know Mrs Connor has been in surgery for most of the night. She had several serious injury's, one which did cause some internal bleeding. The surgeons managed to find the source of the bleeding at seal it off.'

'What about her back?' Leanne asked.

'It was discovered that there was damage to her spinal chord.'

'What does that mean?'

'Luckly the damage was incomplete so there is a good prognosis meaning there is a greater likely hood that function should return in due course.'

'Function should return? Are you saying that there is a chance that she may not be able to walk again?' Peter asked.

'Yes. The worse case seniro is that she becomes paralzyed from the waist down. But the chances of that are very slim, and I have seen people in a worse states make a full recovery.'

The imapct of the news silenced everybody. Then Michelle spoke up.

'Can we see her yet?' The nurse nodded.

'You can but she will be in a drug induced coma for the next 12 hours, so that her body can focus soley on repairing it's self.'

'I think we all still want to see her.' Michelle said, looking round the others who nodded.

'Her room's in the ICU, I'll take you to her now.'

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	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for all your lovely reviews! :D**

**Enjoy!**

**Enjoy! **Since only two people could be allowed into the room at any one time, Peter and Michelle waited outside Carla's room when Leanne and Maria went in. Looking thorugh the window Michelle could see Carla, wires connected to her body and verious different machines flashing different coloured lights and making different beeping noises. She tried not to think of Dean, Paul and Liam.

Peter also looked in at Carla, and saw his bride to be clutching her bestfriends hand, tears streaming down her face. He looked over a Maria, who wasn't crying but had tears glistening in her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks. The two women wore the same expression and it was like Peter could see into there minds, he knew exactly what they were thinking.

Because he was thinking the same thing too.

_It should have been me. _

..

After a while Leanne and Maria left Carla's bedside, both of them silent as they left the room. Maria wrapped her arm around Leanne and muttered something about seeing if the cateen was still serving food as they all needed it before they left.

Peter held the door open and let Michelle enter Carla's room first, before moving to stand at the foot of her bed as Michelle sat in the chair closest to Carla's body, taking her hand in the same way Leanne had done minutes before.

'I'm so sorry Car, I should have been there, should have been able to do something, I'm so so sorry, so sorry.' Tears began streaming down Michelle's face.

Peter could see that Michelle was getting more and more distressed so sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her trembling form, pulling her into a hug.

'Hey, calm down love, it's ok, it's ok.' Peter gently rocked Michelle, in a attempt to calm her down.

After five minutes Michelle's tears had subsided, and she pulled away from Peter's embrace.

'Thanks Peter, I...um...thanks.' Peter smiled slightly understanding what Michelle was trying to say.

Michelle turned her body away from Peter's, taking Carla's hand in her own again, stroking her fingers across the soft skin below her knuckles.

Peter looked up a Carla's face, her eyes were closed, as if she was asleep. There were a few cuts on her face but even under the harsh hospital lights Peter thought she still looked beautiful. Michelle brought Peter out of his thoughts.

'How long did the doctor's say she would be out for?'

'12 hours, that was about an hour ago so by my recogning.' He looked at his watch. 'They'll wake her up around two.'

'She looks like shes asleep.' Peter said, trying to the break the tension.

'Yeah.' Michelle said in the monotone voice, still stroking Carla's hand.

..

Half an hour later a doctor came into the room to check on Carla. After doing basic checks on her stats and the readings on the monitors she turned to Peter and Michelle.

'I'm sorry but you'll have to leave now, we won't be waking her till mid afternoon, and after the night you have had I suggest you all go home and get some rest.'

'I'm not leaving her.' Michelle said, fire in her voice. 'Not again.'

'I understand...um...'

'Michelle.' Peter helped.

'Thank you. Michelle, I understand but giving that you've had no sleep in over 24 hours, the best thing for everyone, including Carla is that you get some rest.'

'I'm not leaving her.' Michelle repeated, not looking up at the doctor.

'Please let her stay doctor. She wasn't there when the tram came down, she doesn't have any injuries.' Peter pleaded.

'Fine Michelle can stay the night, but I'm sorry your going to have to leave.'

Peter nodded and stood up. He kissed the top of Carla's head. 'Get better soon sweetheart.' He whispered before exciting the room.

..

On entering the hallway he saw Maria sitting on a nearby chair, drying her eyes on the back of her hand. Leanne was sat in the seat next to her, staring into space. Peter sat next to Leanne, putting an arm around her.

'Michelle's going to stay the night with Carla. The doctor said it would be best if we all went home. We need to get some sleep or we're not going to be a help to anyone.'

Maria nodded and stood up, and so did Leanne as they made there way out of the hospital.

'If you want you can spend the night at ours Maria.' Peter suggested.

'No it's ok, I think it would be best if I went home, Liam will be missing me.'

'Well if your sure.' Peter said as they left the hospital and into the car park.

'Do you mind if I catch a lift though? I came in the ambulance with Leanne and Carla.'

'Sure.'

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	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry, sorry, sorry but I was brought down with a bad case of writers block! Here is the next chapter, hopefully a cute dose of Carter will let me be forgiven for not updating. :D **

**Big thanks to **madaboutcarla** for her help with everything.**

**Enjoy!**

When Peter came to check on Carla around midday, alone as Leanne stayed to look after Simon but she wanted to be there when Carla woke up so Peter promised he would go collect her then.

Peter walked into the room to see Michelle asleep, her head resting against on Carla's stomach, her hand still tightly grasped around the other woman's and Peter wondered if she had let it go at all during the night.

Peter pulled a chair up next to Michelle and gently woke her up.

'Chelle? Michelle wake up love.'

'Wa-what?' Michelle sat up and rubbed her eyes, and then the crick in her neck before looking at Peter.

'What time it is?' She asked before yawning, and running her fingers through her hair.

'About 12. Is she ok?' Peter asked looking at Carla's sleeping form. Bruises where beginning to show on her body.

'Yeah, no change. I tried to stay awake, you know talk to her and that but I guess I fell asleep.'

Peter chuckled. 'You were still holding her hand when I came in.'

'I just wanted to make sure that she was still there, still feel warmth.' Fresh tears welled up in Michelle's eyes before she wiped them away.

'Hey if you want to cry you can Chelle, I won't judge you.'

'No. I don't want her to hear me upset, they say when people are in comas the hearing is the last thing to go and the first thing to come back. I have to stay strong for her.'

'Crying doesn't mean that your weak.' Michelle swallowed back her emotions and didn't let the tears spill from her eyes.

'No I'm just being silly, she's going to be fine. Do you mind if I go get something to eat? I just don't want her to be alone, in case something happens.' Peter gave her a small smile.

'Yeah that's fine you go ahead, I promise not to leave her till you get back.'

'Thanks Peter.'

Michelle returned his smile and got up and headed for the door, turning and looking one last time at Carla before leaving.

Once Michelle had gone Peter moved over into the seat she was sitting in before, and like she had done, took Carla's hand in his own. He kissed the top of it, and up her slim fingers before laying it back on the bed.

'I...'

Peter began but he didn't know what to say.

Didn't know what to say to the woman who less than a month previously told him that she loved him. He had rejected her, pushed her away. Told her that it wouldn't work, that he loved Leanne. Carla had accepted it but he knew deep down that she still had feelings for him. He also knew that Carla hated herself for almost betraying her best friend.

'I wish that I could go back, go back to that night when you kissed me. I thought I was doing the right thing, otherwise I would have just been taking advantage of a drunk woman. But something inside me wanted you. I almost caved when you answered the door in just a towel, you looked so beautiful. But I ignored my feelings, and I stayed with Leanne. Somethings not been right between us for a while, I still love her, but like a sister not a lover. When I saw you in that towel the only thought that stopped me taking you there and then was the thought of Simon's face if me and Leanne split up. He thinks the world of her.'

Peter sighed and shut his eyes for a second.

'I can't stay with Leanne for Simon's sake, but I don't want to hurt Leanne or hurt you. Hurt you anymore than you have been hurt already. You do the Queen Bitch role very well but I know that you're fragile and that men and screwed up relationships have caused that. If had admitted my feelings to you back then, then we wouldn't be here. That explotion wouldn't have happened and that tram wouldn't have come off the viaduct and you wouldn't be in hospital right now, with a broken back. I'm so sorry Carla.'

Tears were streaming down Peter's cheeks as he said those last words. He kissed the top of her hand again.

'I should have told you that I love you.'

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